Knicks
The Knicks brought back continuity, chemistry and a championship. Getting their legs underneath them has taken a little longer.
“We all feel the fatigue,” Josh Hart said after Friday’s 98-93 loss to the Sixers, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Six games in, we have to find a way to make sure we get our bodies ready to play every day. I think mentally we’re there. We just gotta find it physically.”
New York fell to 2-4 after trailing by as many as 14. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, but the offense too often stalled around him.
Hart pointed to fatigue affecting the movement and execution. The final possession of the first half offered an example. The Knicks had 22 seconds and never got a shot off.
“We got to be more deliberate with cuts and movements,” Hart said. “And taking care of the ball.”
Lakers
Austin Reaves didn’t need much time to explain his night.
“I was terrible again,” he said, via Khobi Price of the California Post. “That’s it.”
Reaves committed eight turnovers in Friday’s loss to the Warriors, matching his total from Wednesday’s win over the Clippers. The Lakers had 22 overall while turning a 25-point lead into a 112-95 defeat.
Reaves scored 21 points and handed out five assists, but six of his turnovers came before halftime. Golden State’s pressure kept producing opportunities to run before the Lakers could set their defense.
“Just bad — we were bad,” Reaves said. “That first group that started the second was bad. And like I said, it starts with me, so I’ll be better.”
He acknowledged that chemistry takes time, but wasn’t offering that as an excuse.
“You got to learn on the fly and pick up things quickly,” he said.
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Nets
The Nets had more turnovers than baskets across the middle two quarters Friday. Thirteen giveaways. Nine field goals. That explains plenty about how a promising start became a 110-94 loss to Detroit.
Coach Jordi Fernandez was also bothered by the response when things went wrong, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.
“The other team responds, and then you see, like, dropping shoulders and not the same energy,” Fernandez said.
Brooklyn fell to 0-5 after nearly winning in Boston earlier in the week. Michael Porter Jr. saw Friday as a setback beyond the standings.
“I think we took a step forward the Boston game, a couple steps backwards tonight.”
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